Support Group Gets Attention At Convention

A local support group for children who suffer from a rare disease that makes them lose their hair was highlighted at a national convention in Atlanta last weekend.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation`s 1990 Convention ran from Friday to Sunday.

It did not surprise the local members that their group was highlighted. The group is a first in Florida. It is specifically aimed at helping children and teen-agers deal with the effects of alopecia.

Alopecia is a rare, incurable, painless and non-contagious disease that harms the body`s immune system. Alopecia is characterized by the sudden, inexplicable, oft-times temporary loss of hair from the scalp, face and body.

The condition is not caused by stress, although stress can worsen an existing condition, experts said.

The condition sometimes can be arrested or reversed with cortisone shots. In addition, many children who suffer from the disease use wigs that are more like prosthetic caps, which stay in place with suction-type devices.

The local group is one of the most active in the country. It recently sponsored a bowl-a-thon at which more than $400 was raised for research into the disease.

The group sponsored the event at a Tamarac bowling alley during the National Alopecia Areata Foundation`s 1990 Fund-Raiser for Public Awareness Week.

Money raised from the event was sent to the foundation, which is conducting research into the disease.

Madeleine White, who owns a hair salon in Boca Raton called New Concepts Hair Replacement Systems, sponsors the support group. Her salon is in the Centrust Tower on Federal Highway south of Yamato Road.

The support group serves Palm Beach and Broward county youth and sponsors a variety of activities, including bowling, roller-skating and swimming. During the activities, White said, the children can see they are not alone and can play without fear of being ridiculed.